Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, Emmanuel College, MS 61

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11843

Contents

Introduction: Emmanuel College, MS 61 contains a treaty in three books on music theory originally composed around the 3rd century CE: Aristides Quintilianus' De musica. Very little is known about Aristides Quintilianus, and even the period in which he was alive remains open to debate, though his writings enjoyed a wide circulation. (For a complete study of the work, see T.J. Mathiesen, Aristides Quintilianus, On Music in three books (New Haven and London, 1983.) This copy of De musica was copied in the 17th century. It was owned by Joshua Barnes (1654–1712), fellow of Emmanuel College, and Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge since 1695, and was donated to the College by him in 1694, as recorded in a note on f. [1]r. Dr Erika Elia

Language(s): Greek

ff. [1]r-87r
Aristides Quintilianus, De musica
Rubric: f. [1]r Ἀριστείδου τοῦ Κοιντιλιανοῦ περὶ μουσικῆς α΄
Incipit: f. [1]r Ἀεὶ μὲν ἐμοὶ θαυμάζειν ἔπεισι
Explicit: f. 87r κατὰ μουσικὴν μιᾷ καταθέσθαι πραγματείᾳ.
Final rubric: f. 87r Τέλος

Blank spaces have been left where titles and diagrams should have been traced; sometimes titles have been written in pencil

On f. [72]v l. 12 there is a small lacuna caused by a saut du même au même: ὡς γὰρ ἐκ τούτων τῶν … φύσεων συνιουσῶν ( ed. R.P. Winnington-Ingram, Aristidis Quintiliani De musica libri tres, Lipsiae 1963, p. 112 ll. 5-7)

TLG 2054.001

ff. [i] verso-[iv] verso and ff. 87v-[ix] verso are blank

1.1. ff. [1]r-[32]v
Book 1
1.2. ff. [33]r-[60]v
Book 2
1.3. ff. 61r-87r
Book 3

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermarks: ff. [1]-87, [v], [viii]-[ix] Two columns with letters ‘ M V’, surmounted by grapes ( 55 × 40 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels were found in the main repertoires, however the watermark is a type used in the 17th century. See: Heawood Post or pillar 3485-3535 . ff. [i]-[iv], [vi]-[vii] Pitcher with one handle and letters ‘ C O’, surmounted by a quatrefoil and a crescent ( ca. 70 × ca. 25 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels were found in the main repertoires, however the watermark is a type used in the 17th century. See, for example: Heawood Pot 3583-3587 , dated to the years 1621-1635 (England).
Extent: Codex: 96 leaves. 190 × 145 mm.
Foliation:

Modern pencil partial foliation, in the upper margin, right, from 11, and afterwards every ten leaves, except for the last number, 87: [i]-[iv] + [1]-[10], 11, [12]-[20], 21, [22]-[30], 31, [32]-[40], 41, [42]-[50], 51, [52]-[60], 61, [62]-[70], 71, [72]-[80], 81, [82]-[86], 87 + [v]-[ix].

Collation

The first quire, formed by endleaves, is a binion. Four quires of 16 leaves follow; it is not possible to ascertain with certainty the quire structure for ff. [65]-[86], where the sewing is not visible and the succession of the watermarks does not allow to recognize a pattern. The last quire is a ternion.

  • Quire 14 ff. [i]-[iv]
  • Quires 2-516 ff. [1]-[64]
  • ff. [65]-[86]
  • Quire 66 ff. 87-[ix]

Horizontal catchwords by the scribe in the lower margin, right, of each folio recto and verso.

Condition

The manuscript is in good condition. There are humidity stains on the leaves throughout and a few worm holes near the lower edge of the leaves. Ink partially smeared from f. [18]r onwards.

Layout

A single column of 23 lines. Frame ruled in pencil. 130 × 75 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. [1]r-87r Hand A: the text was written entirely in a minuscule script, possibly by a western European hand, vertical, regular in size, characterized by decorative loops; vertical strokes are not very developed. The same hand wrote a list of manuscripts in Latin on f. [i] recto.

Hand A traced also, in pencil, notes in the margins, titles and other elements (for example, a musical notation diagram on ff. [12]r-[12]v) which should have been probably written in red ink, and a few diagrams.

The text is written in brown ink.

Decoration

Thick minor initials in brown ink are present throughout.

Additions

On the left pastedown are written the present shelfmark, ‘ 61’, and the former one, ‘ MSS 1.3.8 ’ (3 was originally written incorrectly as 4). In the centre of the pastedown there is a note in black ink concerning the donation of the manuscript to the College by Joshua Barnes (see Acquisition).

On f. [i] recto there is a list of books and manuscripts with signatures written probably by the scribe of the text, hand A.

In the upper margin of f. [1]r there is a note in black ink concerning the donation of the manuscript to the College by Joshua Barnes, with the date of 1694 (see Acquisition). In the right margin is written the former shelfmark, ‘1-4.8’.

Binding

Early modern western binding, full reverse leather cover over couched-laminate boards; blind tooling of double fillet on both boards. On the spine are pasted four paper labels with the previous shelfmark ‘ MS | 1 | 3 | 8’. 195 × 150 × 23 mm.

The binding is damaged around the spine. The manuscript is preserved in a box.

History

Origin:

The manuscript, based on the watermarks, was copied probably in England, in the 17th century, before 1694, when the manuscript was donated to Emmanuel College.

Provenance and Acquisition

The manuscript was owned by the English scholar and antiquary Joshua Barnes (1654-1712) .

Joshua Barnes donated the manuscript to the College in 1694, as written in a note in the upper margin of f. [1]r, ‘ Alma Matri Emmanuel Dono Dedit Josua Barnes 1694’. A note concerning the donation is present also on the left pastedown, ‘ Collegio Emanuelis dedit Josua Barnes S. T. B. Grecae Linguae Professor regius’; under this note is pasted the Emmanuel College bookplate.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2021) draws partly on M.R. James, The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Emmanuel College (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1904), pp. 53-54

Availability

Visitors to Emmanuel College who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Emmanuel College: Special Collections.

Bibliography

    Musici scriptores graeci, Jan, Karl von (Lipsiae, Teubner, 1899) The Western manuscripts in the library of Emmanuel College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M. R. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1904) Aristidis Quintiliani De musica libri tres Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana, (Lipsiae, Teubner, 1963) Ancient Greek music theory: a catalogue raisonné of manuscripts International inventory of musical sources. B, Mathiesen, T. J. (München, Henle, 1988)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

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Cambridge Digital Library

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